Nuffic collaborates with African Network for Internationalisation of Education
The African Network for Internationalisation of Education (ANIE) is collaborating with Nuffic on a research project, titled Internationalisation of Higher Education in Developing Countries: Current Issues and Trends.
Mtinkheni Gondwe, Senior Policy Officer at Nuffic, will collaborate with Linda Lumbasi, Program Officer for Research at ANIE on this study. The project will commence in August 2012 and is only the start of cooperation at a broader scale.
ANIE focuses on internationalisation of higher education in Africa. It has three main objectives:
- to contribute to the development and understanding of internationalisation of higher education in Africa through high impact research projects and publications;
- to inform policy decisions related to the international dimension of higher education in Africa with high quality research evidence; and
- to strengthen and sustain Africa’s research capacity on internationalisation of higher education.
Internationalisation to remain competitive
Africa is economically awakening and internationalisation is the best tool for keeping the continent globally competitive. Therefore, the establishment of ANIE in 2009 was timely. The network will facilitate conceptualisation of the best internationalisation strategies for Africa.
Internationalisation is defined as the process of integrating an international, intercultural or global dimension into the purpose, functions or delivery of education. Student and staff mobility increases competences for living in highly international societies (i.e. language and intercultural competences).
It also allows transfer of knowledge, skills and expertise between geographical regions. It is a source of income for institutions and helps to improve their education programmes. It also benefits the global labour market. Employers can recruit international talent; graduates who are not only experts in their fields, but can also think at a broad level.
ANIE annual conference
This year’s ANIE annual conference will be held in South Africa in September 2012. The theme is: Internationalisation of higher education in Africa: maximising benefits, minimising risks.
Since its establishment ANIE, with its secretariat at Moi University in Kenya, has hosted successful annual conferences on:
- trends, challenges and opportunities that internationalisation poses to Africa’s higher education;
- internationalisation of higher education in Africa: Responding to opportunities and challenges; and
- global trends in internationalisation and the place of Africa in the unfolding developments.